THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1920. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 16 August 1920, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1920. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Children's Competitions. Last year, after the success that a-.- ! tended the children's competitions, | held under the auspices of the Otaki j Literary and Debating Club, we urged j that the competitions be taken npos a j wider scale, and carried out under I regular competition rales and regnla- • tions. However, this adriee was r.ot followed, and again this year the local club has held competitions on somewhat similar lines to those of insr year. The liberal support accorded these, and the unqualified success of the function. has convinced us that it would be wise to take the further step suggested, and hold annual musical and elocutionary competitions in Otaki. under proper conditions and with better organisation than can be expected with a function arranged at such short notice and carried out by such a few helpers as ha* been the ease in the past. While last week's competition- were mosi j enjoyable and successful there are ! improved. For instance, v. would be ■■ j decided improvement to iiave set piece? for most of the contests. Thai ( enables the competitors to study their i efforts raore carefully, places all on the j same footing, and simplifies the task at I is need for more classes, so that ehii- j dren of five or sis years of age do no: } have to compete with tnose twice their i &jre. If this is done, it naeins that tie j

competitions, must also be held during Ike daytime, or more .than one night be 1 taken up". It might be felt desirable i to restrict the competitions to children ] —though Wc 'see no reason why open classes should not be held, also —but { j this'is a matter that might be.decided t by those interested. "We would suggest , that a public meeting be ealled by theLiterary and Debating Club, at an early date, to consider the matter fully ' while interest is warm oa the subject. Possibly it might be decided to.hold another competition this year; bat J even if not, some definite opinion might be expressed as to the form future com- t petitions shoHld take, and a committee i might be set up to keep the matter in t view and take the necessary steps at t the proper time, so that it might not bo neglected next year. Those who j attended last week's competitions, aad , saw the enthusiasm displayed by the , competitors, must agree that such con- , tests are of great educational value to the participants, and also to the public, and deserve the heartiest support of all. We hope to see the. local Club take up the matter at an early date. > Otaki's Peace Memorial. In our report of the proceedings of a committee meeting with respect to the above, in our last issue—report supplied by the secretary—it would be seen that the committee "expressed regret that the 'Otaki Mail' had made unfavourable comments'' re the. resort. We have searched our files, and cannot find that we have at any time made any "unfavourable comments." Possibly the meeting referred to our remarks re the laying-out of the memorial site, in which we suggested that the committee secure the services of the liest landscape gardener in New Zealand in the preparation of a scheme for the utilisation of the site secured. The committee appears to have taken our comments as a reflection on Mr H. Small, wiio has most, generously prepared a plan of the rest resort. As we stated plainly at the time, no such slight was intended. At the time we wrote our previous comments we were not aware that Mr Small had the whole matter in hand, and that the plan was in actual course of preparation. It had been publicly reported that the committee Wits soliciting gifts of tree-. shrubs, etc. for planting on the grounds, and we urged that a proper plan should be adopted before anything was done in planting, etc.. in order that the work might not lie done in a piecemeal fashion. Surely if is looking at the matter in a narrow fashion to infer that we reflected on a local gentleman when we recommended that (he best brains in New Zealand !"■ secured for a plan of the memorial. We would remind that committee thai Dunedin is inviting designs from all parts of New Zealand for ifs peace memorial, and Christchurch is doing the same. Does than mean that the people of Christchurch and Dunedin have no faith it) the ability of their own architects ami other professional men, and that they sue slighting the,,, by asking tor outside opinions? Certainly not. We contend that in erecting a worthy peace memorial we should have the very best that we can get j with the means at our disposal, and it is only reasonable to presume that a professional gentleman who has wide - experience in designing such thirij;should be able to give more valuable advice than tiny amateur, gifted and experienced as he may be. Hence we (jlaim that our remarks were fully justified, and regret that the Peace ' Memorial Committee did not take them j in the spirit in which they were in- t tended, Jusi a word re the plan prepared by Mr Srue.ll and r.ow- adopted by the local committee. Wc have inspected it, and freely admit that Mr Small ha- made an excellent job. lie has displayed artistic taste and considerable skill in its preparation ate! attention to detail, and the design is of the community tire due to Mr Small for hi« efforts, which, we understand, have been gratuitous. If the plan is carrier] out faithfully the rest re-ort ••.ill prove a most valuable asset to th>town, and a worthy memorial to the lads vho made such a noble sacrifice for u- all.